The Russian Winged Orbital Launch Vehicle, a visionary project by the Soviet Air Force, aimed for a horizontal takeoff/horizontal landing, reusable space launch system akin to conventional aircraft. Developed by Mikoyan from 1960 to 1976, it featured a reusable hypersonic airbreathing booster, two expendable rocket stages, and the Spiral manned spaceplane. Hindered by inadequate government funding, it only reached subscale flight tests by the mid1970s. Development ceased in 1976, giving way to the Buran, a Soviet version of the U.S. space shuttle. However, the concept saw a resurgence in the 1980s as the MAKS spaceplane, embodying technological evolution and human perseverance in aerospace innovation.